SWAT Team Mania: The War Against the American Citizen

It used to be that the typcial law enforcement officer viewed his job as public service, helping the citizen when and where he could. The new breed of law enforcement officers are no where of the caliber that the public servants of the past used to be. These new breeds they issue uniforms and badges to nowadays are nothing but thugs in blue with the attitude that everyone is their enemy. The new breeds have no sense of service, they simply act like military because thats the new direction for domestic law enforcement. Not just SWAT as the article states below, but in general law enforcement is moving towards the military footing in their daily operations.

"He [a federal agent] had his knee on my back and I had no idea why they were there." - Anthony Wright, victim of a Dept. of Education SWAT team raid

The militarization of American police – no doubt a blowback effect of the military empire – has become an unfortunate part of American life. In fact, it says something about our reliance on the military that federal agencies having nothing whatsoever to do with national defense now see the need for their own paramilitary units. Among those federal agencies laying claim to their own law enforcement divisions are the State Department, Department of Education, Department of Energy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, to name just a few. These agencies have secured the services of fully armed agents – often in SWAT team attire – through a typical bureaucratic sleight-of-hand provision allowing for the creation of Offices of Inspectors General (OIG). Each OIG office is supposedly charged with not only auditing their particular agency’s actions but also uncovering possible misconduct, waste, fraud, theft, or certain types of criminal activity by individuals or groups related to the agency’s operation. At present, there are 73 such OIG offices in the federal government that, at times, perpetuate a police state aura about them.

For example, it was heavily armed agents from one such OIG office, working under the auspices of the Department of Education, who forced their way into the home of a California man, handcuffed him, and placed his three children (ages 3, 7, and 11) in a squad car while they conducted a search of his home. This federal SWAT team raid, which is essentially what it was, on the home of Anthony Wright on Tuesday, June 7, 2011, was allegedly intended to ferret out information on Wright’s estranged wife, Michelle, who no longer lives with him and who was suspected of financial aid fraud (early news reports characterized the purpose of the raid as being over Michelle’s delinquent student loans). According to Wright, he was awakened at 6 am by the sound of agents battering down his door and, upon descending the stairs, was immediately subdued by police. One neighbor actually witnessed the team of armed agents surround the house and, after forcing entry, they "dragged [Wright] out in his boxer shorts, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him."

Article everyone should read and source

The rise of the Gestapo and the fall of liberty. Sooner or later we'll be hearing the sentence "your papers please?"

reply to post by starwarsisreal


No kidding. Its getting absurd.

reply to post by Humint1

These new breeds they issue uniforms and badges to nowadays are nothing but thugs in blue with the attitude that everyone is their enemy

That's a militarized extension of the Cops and Feds who viewed everyone as guilty before being proved as such by a court of Law. By them you were all seen as potential criminals, now through the paranoia of Terrorism, all US citizens are seen as an enemy. The energy that one indulges in, is the energy one lives by. Play with mud long enough with a big stick and eventually you get dirty.
The US Govt has breed its own form of anti American terrorist within, by creating the mentality of Swat teams.
Is it the case that they're so obtuse not to realize this or did they plan it that way? American Democracy is dying a slow and painful death along with the dream.... could be time to come out of that nightmare as 'We The People of America'. There's a certain irony in America accusing so many other nations and their leaders as being evil and their leaders are the 'anti christ'. It turns out US leaders and enforcement officers fit that profile, within America, as representing all that is 'anti American'. It seems the people of the US are getting a taste of the 'anti' energy that was sent into countries across the globe, into the homes of innocent people and killing, en mass in the name of 'anti' terrorism.
Reap what thy sow... American freedoms are in a constant state of decrescendo.

reply to post by Humint1


OP, I live in the city where this Dept. of Education raid occurred. I have read everything I can find with respect to the details of this event. To date, the D.O.E. has provided no information that would justify their excessive use of force for a crime such as financial aid fraud. Being a former police officer myself, and having participated in the planning and execution of a number of raids relating to criminal investigations in a law enforcement capacity, I believe the D.O.E. is going to encounter some major problems in justifying their actions. All they have said is they were "conducting a criminal investigation" and that this raid was not the result of a default on student loans (which was the original report by a local news agency).

The D.O.E. has not indicated that anyone suspected of living in that residence posed a threat to the safety of the agents, and there has been no evidence that either Mr. Wright or his wife have prior criminal histories or that they possessed firearms or other weapons that could be used against agents. There have also been no arrests made of anyone living in the home in connection with this investigation.

I am currently drafting a letter to my local paper inquiring why there has been no followup coverage on this event, and I am also sending letters to my state representatives asking them to investigate this action by the D.O.E. along with a request that they go on record to state their response to what appears to be a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment by the D.O.E.

reply to post by NightGypsy


Well, you stay safe there my friend.

You probably will never find any paperwork on that because they know its wrong altogether. But this is what the result is from the military industrial complex's attitude is and it has been adopted by the law enforcement at the encouragement of the government.

* Many agencys (like mine where I live) will only hire new personnel who have experience in the military, military based contracting (merc based crap).
* Many agencys are now training using military weaponary platforms and tactics.
* Many agencys are going to military based uniforms such BDUs, bloused pants, BDU shirts etc.

Its as if someone is expecting a war or something?!.........Food for thought there.

This type of anti citizen approach by law enforcement should be resisted. Something must be done to place law enforcement back in it's role outside of this criminal military mentality it has now. Its sad when I watch events such as a shootout or chase on the news and actually root for the offender, but thats the by-product of the actions against the citizens of this nation by military wannabe cops violating our rights.

I really hate it when I read of raids such as these. I sleep with a shot gun and I do not want anyone who invades my home to die.... And if it were law enforcement , I would really really hate it.

A shot gun blast to the abdomen is really really messy, and if it happened to a good person, it would ruin me.

Originally posted by wiredamerican
I really hate it when I read of raids such as these. I sleep with a shot gun and I do not want anyone who invades my home to die.... And if it were law enforcement , I would really really hate it.

A shot gun blast to the abdomen is really really messy, and if it happened to a good person, it would ruin me.

If you shoot a cop in a SWAT raid they are going to kill you, you do not have to worry
about it ruining you.

That's what scares me the very most, trigger happy, poorly trained, individuals on power
trips.

I started a thread the other day with some SWAT stats.

Apparently usage has jumped by 400% in recent years and its all for non-violent warrant serving and even patrolling.

They're a menace who put everyone in unnecessary danger by instantly escalating every situation into a life or death situation.

I'd link to it but it sucks on mobile.

The article also goes on to state that SWAT teams are held to less strict limitations than military entry teams in Afganistan. They're a damn menace.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by Humint1

This type of anti citizen approach by law enforcement should be resisted. Something must be done to place law enforcement back in it's role outside of this criminal military mentality it has now. Its sad when I watch events such as a shootout or chase on the news and actually root for the offender, but thats the by-product of the actions against the citizens of this nation by military wannabe cops violating our rights.

That's interesting info, Humint1. In fact, I have considered talking to some of my former cop friends to see if they are sensing any kind of unusual trends in their departments that lean toward a more militaristic mindset. But speaking from experience, I can honestly say that most cops on the street are not hell-bent on violating people's rights. In fact, I think some of them don't even have a full understanding of what those rights are. I'm just being honest.........lol

I don't like the anti-cop sentiment expressed so often by the public, either. The fact that it exists is not only due to the poor judgment and heavy-handedness of some cops, but a widespread misunderstanding among the population about the role of law enforcement in certain situations and and what officers can and can't do in order to carry out their jobs.

Even though I am no longer in law enforcement, I still become incensed when I hear of accounts like this carried out by the D.O.E. that do nothing but add fuel to the fire for anti-law enforcement sentiment.

reply to post by NightGypsy


Thank for replying

The trend if you will begun around 1993 after the first WTC bombing then gained tremendous effort after the OKC bombing. Departments got big help from the fed when the DHS came into being and dished out all of the grants to departments willing to boost their teams and basic patrols within that mindset. Today the grant process has a waiting list due to all of the agencys who apply to it for anything from upgraded radios, vehicles, boats, equipment etc. Its become a feeding frenzy as departments snap up all of this money designated for specified equipment on the DHS Domestic Law Enforcement Assitance List.

reply to post by Humint1


I don't ever plan on getting into a situation where anyone is knocking down my door however I will say this. If anyone knocks down my door and violates any of my constitutional rights they better bring a truckload of body bags because I will not be treated with indiscretion.

Originally posted by starwarsisreal
The rise of the Gestapo and the fall of liberty. Sooner or later we'll be hearing the sentence "your papers please?"

You already do hear that phrase, just not word for word. Rather than it being as simple as "papers please" it's now, "license and registration please" or "id please", but without the manners.

Originally posted by HellstormRising
reply to post by Humint1

 

I don't ever plan on getting into a situation where anyone is knocking down my door ...

I'm fairly certain those at the business end of wrong address warrants, wifi trespasses and that fella whos estranged wife hadnt paid her student loans didnt ever plan on getting into a situation where somebody was knocking their doors down.

Just minding their own business completely oblivious to the death and destruction that was stacking up on their front steps.

Or this mayor in Maryland who had the pleasure of SWAT kicking in his door and having his dogs killed because somebody somewhere sent some pot to that address. Completely out of his control and they busted in guns firing.

"The door flew open," he said. "I heard gunfire shoot off. There was a brief pause and more gunfire."

articles.cnn.com...:CRIME

Why should it ever change? These are the same people who dish out capital punishment just because some circus of a trial justified it. Sure, every now and then somebody totally innocent is let off death row but that in no way serves to discredit the wondrous executions they carry out.

Sure some cops kill innocent people and destroy lives for no apparent reason whatsoever but that doesnt discredit their other glorious actions which keep us all safe. From what I have no idea but rest assured we're safe.

Every time a family pet is shot down or a door kicked in an angel gets its wings. Glory to the raiders with guns drawn. Bless them and keep them safe as they shoot your shizhu to death and tackle your grandmother in her undies.